Notes from the compiler

This is the fifteenth volume of the Book and Paper Group
Annual, a non-juried anthology of papers pertaining to the
conservation and preservation of works of art on paper, books,
library and archival materials. This issue includes thirteen papers
delivered at the 1996 Book and Paper Specialty Group Session, four
papers presented in the Poster Session, and one paper presented as a
poster in the pre-session, "Preservation of Collections" at the AIC
24th Annual Meeting in Norfolk, Virginia. Three papers are
independent submissions from their respective authors. I would like
to thank Program Chair Sarah Melching and Assistant Program Chair
Betty Fiske for their contributions to an excellent session. The
success of this issue rests primarily with the authors who have
labored diligently to prepare their papers for publication.

This is the fourth volume of the Annual that has been compiled
from copy submitted electronically, with the visual information
prepared through the use of scanning technology Where appropriate,
we have followed editorial specifications of The Chicago Manual
of Style, 14th ed. (The University of Chicago Press, 1993).

Papers presented during the BPG Specialty Group Session include
reproductions of the transparencies used for the presentation.
Digital technology makes the reproduction of color transparencies as
high quality black and white halftone images both expeditious and
very successful.

This publication is also available in an online version
containing color illustrations where applicable at
http://cool.conservation-us.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/v15/

I would like to thank Assistant Editor Mark Pollei for his hard
work and invaluable assistance in the desktop composition of this
issue. I would also like to acknowledge the Harold B. Lee Library of
Brigham Young University for its continued support in the production
of the Annual.